Although accurate statistics on human trafficking are hard to obtain, the U.S. State Department estimates that 600,000 to 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders every year. Of these, 80% are women and girls, and up to 50% are minors. The International Labour Organization estimates that there are 12.3 million victims of forced labour (including sexual servitude) at any given time; other estimates range from 4 million to 27 million. The RCMP estimates that 600-800 victims are trafficked into Canada each year, and another 1,500 to 2,200 persons are trafficked through Canada to the United States annually.

Trafficking in persons ranks with the drug trade and arms smuggling as a major source of revenue for organized crime. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations estimates that the trade in human life generates global profits approaching$10 billion annually.